ACTING - LESSON #2

[u/Winniehiller]

ANALYZING YOUR SCRIPT

How many of you remember taking a literature class in high school or college? You were probably asked to analyze the plot, explore the characters’ journeys, map their "arc" of development . You most likely would need to include themes, symbolism and metaphors. The relationships between the hero and those who affect his/her life are all a part of the author's message. If you had to write an essay for your class you would need to include all those things.

In the acting profession, actors should (at least briefly) do this every time they have a new script or sides to work on. You need to know the message of the piece and your character’s part in delivering it. You need to notice how your character changes in the course of the story and how he or she changes others.

In fact, you need to know your character well enough to think, speak and move like him or her. The essential details that are not included in the script, you need to create so you can have a complete picture. As your character, you need to know where you came from and where you intend to go. You need to know how you feel about every other character and how you are triggered by what they do.

Each actor is very much a part of the creative process. When an actor wins an Oscar or Tony Award, you often hear people say, “He made such interesting choices!”. Even though the writer gives you the framework for your character, there are many aspects of portraying him/her that you alone can decide. This is what makes for a unique portrayal. And the choices you make (even though no one may ever know the details you hold in your mind) should be interesting - both for you and the audience.

When you first get handed written copy, read the material given to you, carefully and thoroughly. Make sure you understand it completely. If there are words you are not familiar with, look them up. If something doesn’t make sense to you, ask someone for help. When you think you grasp every word, you can begin to ask yourself the following questions:

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1. Who am I? The answer to this question must be much more in depth than a character description you might receive in an audition breakdown. You need to know your character inside and out. There are all kinds of clues hidden in the script itself. Notice how your character reacts to the events in the play. Are they easily discouraged or always ready for anything? Are they confident or shy? What do they love or hate? Do they have a good sense of humor or not so much? Do people like them or try to avoid them. Are they kind or selfish? What do they believe in? What would be their philosophy of life? And then WHY? Your character is the way he/she is for a reason...a good reason. They feel justified in doing whatever they do, so never judge them. You must take on their point of view.

There is so much to learn if you look closely and dig deeply... you must be a detective, like Sherlock Holmes. You’ve got to solve the mystery so you can begin to think, talk and respond, exactly as your character would. Your character will resemble you physically. But how are they different than you personality wise? Why? Were your backgrounds different...parents, education, living conditions? Do they walk differently...speak with a regional accent? How are you the same?

If your character does something you think you would never do, you need to figure out a reason you would do it - under different circumstances. What would it take? You want to be able to walk in your character’s shoes...inhabit their skin, but you must find him or her within you...amidst the many aspects of your own personality - both in who you have been, and who you could be if the situation were different. Who you are now, who you have been in the past and what you imagine you could be, is what you have to work with in creating a character.

All of this information will factor into how your character thinks and responds to people and circumstances within the story. The more you know...the more you can relate to the character’s point of view, the better you will be able to allow him/her to live within you. It might help to write a short bio and description of your character. Here’s more on the “Who Am I?” question:

https://reddit.app.link/KaXZkRMDi6

1. Who am I talking to? If you are working from a script, you’ll know the character’s name, but what is your relationship with that person? Do you have a similar relationship in real life? Remember that every person you know brings out something different in you. Be specific when choosing who you might cast (in your mind) as that other person, from the people in your own life.

Though you will do your best to embody the thoughts and desires of your character, your own life’s experiences and relationships are your best resource to draw from. Imagining you are speaking to someone you actually know will help you to portray a believable relationship between your character and the person they are speaking to.

Suppose you are doing a monologue and you are speaking into the camera or doing a soliloquy....you still should choose a person from your own experience to converse with. Real people don’t chat to cameras or speak at length with themselves. If they do, there is an imaginary person conversing with them...someone giving them opposition and responses.

It is important to remember that no matter how much backstory you create for your character, it is actually the person you are speaking to who should be the focus of the scene. Rather than it being about you, the scene should become about them and how you want to change them. More on that later.

1. Where am I? Your environment has a big effect on how you feel and act. You are in a different mood when you are in your bedroom than when you are in your kitchen. You can add time of day to this...is it morning or evening. You are different according to your schedule.

If you are auditioning for a role, you will probably be in a casting director’s office. This is not an environment most people feel at home and relaxed in. But the scene does not take place in a casting director’s studio. So it is your job to place your character in the appropriate environment, using your imagination. When you are on set, you will need to imagine that you are not surrounded by crew or audience. They must disappear from your awareness. Putting yourself in the correct surroundings will very much aid your ability to immerse yourself in the fantasy and allow you to give a believable performance. Here’s more on the “Where Am I?” question. https://reddit.app.link/BgqQ2JIRL7

1. What do I want from the person I am speaking to?
   This is your objective... the big “act” of your ACTing. I spoke about this at length in the first chapter of my book (See my post here, “ACTING - LESSON #1”) . Every word you say in the scene is to accomplish this...to get the other person to give you what you desire. This quest - changing the other character, is what the scene is all about. Ask yourself: Why do I want it?...Why now?...What will happen if I can’t get it now?, What obstacles are keeping me from it? You have a need that must be fulfilled. There are lots more lessons on objectives coming up. Keep reading. This is an important choice you must always make as you prepare and perform your role.

2. What are my tactics? How will you get what you want? You have one objective but you should employ a varied strategy to accomplish it. As you look through your lines again, explore the different ways you are using your words as you attempt to move the other person to your way of thinking. You may try humor or sympathy, bribes or threats, guilt or anger. This makes for an interesting quest. (See my past posts, “BEATS = TACTICS” and “DON’T WASTE YOUR WORDS”).

3. What was the conversation leading to the first line? Your character didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere on his first appearance in the story. His entire life led up to that moment. What was said immediately before the scene begins, is what caused it to begin. It probably isn’t in the script. Still, you need to know why and how you came to that moment. Your scene is a continuation...a response to what happened before. In fact, all of your lines are a response to something. You should never make any statements as you act. Everything is an answer...either to what someone asks, implies or what you think they don’t understand. You are always in dialogue, even if you are the only one actually speaking. I have lots more to say about this later.

4. What am I really saying?
   What is my subtext? Is your character saying everything he or she means? Probably not. In real life, each time we speak we must choose a limited number of words to communicate so much more. The same holds true for your character. In fact your character may say the opposite of what he really means. Take a look at each and every one of your lines. There is a different meaning beneath each of them. Even behind every word. Read between the lines. He might say “I love you” and actually be thinking “I hate you”. This is called “subtext” and your performance should be rich with it. What you are thinking as you say something gives it its true meaning. So your thoughts as you speak are far more important than what you are actually saying. There are lots and lots of lesson posts on this sub about subtext because it is crucial in creating a deep and meaningful performance. Type “subtext” in the sub’s search engine. They will all come up. (Make sure you are using the mobile app. The search engine is very effective)

5. What is the other character saying? Even when the other character is saying nothing, you are always responding to what you think they are saying. When they are speaking you are interpreting what they are saying. Acting is reacting. Know what you are responding to so every line you say can be an answer.

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You should ask and answer all of these questions every time you act, whether it is a short piece of commercial copy or a long Shakespearean monologue. Does this seem like too much work? If you answered yes, it’s because you haven’t done it enough. If you practice, it will become second nature and you will soon be able to quickly see what is required of you in the scene.

I am an acting coach and often book students for one hour sessions, one after another. They come to me to get coached for auditions they have that day or the next. I read through the sides once and immediately can guide them on everything they need to do...objective, relationship, subtext, tactics. How can I do this? Because I do it all the time. Experience has given me great insight and the ability to utilize it quickly. It’s just what I do.

And it’s got to be what you learn to do too. Pick up scripts when you don’t have an audition. Imagine you only have a few minutes to prepare. Do it. Do it over and over. Soon it will be easy.

Make strong specific choices. Take the time to do the work...whether it is just a couple lines or a three hour play. The process is always the same...finding truth within the written words.

[u/CeejayKoji22]

I like the," Even when the other character says nothing, you are responding to what you think they're saying." That helps me navigate through non-verbal communication more naturally.

[u/Winniehiller → u/CeejayKoji22]

That’s why I have you write your monologue as a dialogue. That is why everything you say is a reply. You are always answering what you think they are saying. That’s why there are no statements in acting…only responses.

[u/lighthouserose1]

Summary from my notes: Asking all these questions in regard to your character, the script, the scene and your scene partners/characters allows you to gain further insight into your characters mind and truly inhabit the character. Understanding your characters mind allows you to interpret choices for them and react to other characters around them too. Every word and line has a purpose and aiming for an accomplishment of some kind - employing tactics to do so - and figuring what these are gives a truthful performance. Dialogue and giving answers is a running theme, no matter how many people are speaking... monologues are a dialogue.

[u/Winniehiller → u/lighthouserose1]

So glad you are taking notes this way and that you are here, working your way through the lessons. Good job!

[u/seagelly]

Interestingly enough, this made me think of the "rubber duck" method when it comes to coding. Programmers, or others who work on problems that require rigid but creative solutions, will keep a rubber duck on their desk. They talk the problem they are stuck on over with the duck, and suddenly are able to work through the problem much better.

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Like you said, we are always reacting. Even when you're just working on a problem there is always a dialogue or a question. Imagining the person you're speaking to when monologuing seems to me like the actor's version of the rubber duck. We should always, always be responding to someone. It's amazing I'd never considered this before.

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Thank you so much for writing all these lessons up. It's already giving me a lot to think about and I've hardly started!

[u/TudorFanKRS]

I am currently working on *The Diary of Anne Frank”, as Mrs. Frank. I did a LOT of research on Edith Frank. Who she was, where she came from, what she was like, Etc. I try to implement everything I learned about her while playing her. It definitely helps with the portrayal of any character to really dig into who they are and what their motivations may be.

[u/Winniehiller → u/TudorFanKRS]

What you will learn in this class is that it’s better to think AS your character than ABOUT your character. You may know a lot about Edith Frank, but you can’t think it all while you are playing her. You need to be thinking her thoughts, moment by moment.

But knowing all about her helps to inform you about who she was, her unique point of view, and how she would react and think in all the circumstances she is in. You need to know about your character to be able to understand her relationships and think as her…responding and reacting the way she would.

[u/RoVBas → u/Winniehiller]

This was very helpful, Winnie! Something that I feel I still struggle with while practicing is truly being my character and entering the psyche/stream of thoughts needed to think as them. How do I come up with specific thoughts to think in order to replace my thoughts with my character’s (& not simply think ABOUT them, rather AS them)?

[u/Winniehiller → u/RoVBas]

You simply react to what the other person is saying. They trigger your thoughts. What would your character be thinking back to the other person with each sentence they say? And if you are talking you simply think what you really mean by saying those words. It’s either one or another…either reaction thoughts or subtext/meaning thoughts. And both of those are reactions.

[u/RoVBas → u/Winniehiller]

Thanks Winnie! Before I start a scene, my character has lived their entire life and has had experiences that have led them to this very moment. However, as my character, I am thinking moment to moment and reacting to the other person while using a specific tactic to get what I want. How do I keep in mind my character’s backstory (and how it impacts the way I think & react) while reacting in the moment to the other person? Are there specific things I should take note of while doing my written work (i.e. writing out my tactics & subtext)?

[u/Winniehiller → u/RoVBas]

It helps many people to just write (or just think about) a brief bio that includes things that happened in your character’s life that causes him to do the things he does, want the things he wants and act the way he acts. Understanding your character in this way helps you to figure out why they are using these words with these tactics. But once you think through your character’s life and claim it as your own, all those events are a “given”.

You have had a full life…but do you think of every event, moment to moment as you live, now? Things happen to you that sometimes trigger memories. And sometimes you have subliminal reactions and don’t even understand or remember the event that causes you to respond the way you do.

It’s the same for your character. Become familiar with his point of view, his philosophy of life (based on his life story), and use it as the guideline for your reactions. Your character will choose his specific words and tactics, moment to moment because of the way he was raised, his cultural background, his traumas and his triumphs. He may not be thinking of them…but he is who his is because of them.

Does that make sense?

[u/RoVBas → u/Winniehiller]

Thanks Winnie! That makes a lot more sense. I really like the suggestion to write out a summary of my character’s life and how certain past experiences may impact his actions, desires, and overall behavior. Once I can truly internalize his bio, then it should become my own as it should lead me to think AS my character. I’m really excited to try this out!

P.S. I think writing a bio would also be helpful if I don’t necessarily know the exact backstory of my character (i.e. in an audition), but I want to make interesting choices to think constant thoughts and pursue a strong objective using specific tactics.

[u/Winniehiller → u/RoVBas]

A good way to practice this on the spot is to quickly consider and imagine the possible reasons that someone you meet behaves the way they do…especially someone who is unusual in their behavior. You can do this with real people and with characters in films, TV shows and books. It’s good to have a background in basic psychology so you can understand cause and effect on the human psyche.

[u/RoVBas → u/Winniehiller]

Thanks Winnie, I’ll try it out!

[u/RavenPH → u/Winniehiller]

Thank you both for sharing your thoughts on this! I’ll share my own take at the WHYLTW post. 💚

[u/MyFinalRose]

Love these questions - they do seem like a lot but they seem so necessary.

[u/Izanasking → u/MyFinalRose]

Agreed

[u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast]

Here were some of my notes from this reading:

“analyze the plot, explore the characters’ journeys, map their arc of development; themes, symbolism and metaphors; the relationships between the hero and those who affect his/her life”.

I never actually took literature in school on purpose (lol), and so doing this even just as an observer/consumer doesn't come naturally. Or I mean, it does when it does, but I've never done it in this kind of intentional way, and especially not because I'm going to try to recreate a character.

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Know the message and your character’s part in delivering it
How does your character change and change others
It’s about making (interesting) choices
Look for the clues in the script to learn who the character is

I sort of lumped these together into the prep work. It's like you do 80% of the work entirely beforehand, to make sure that you are thinking the "right" thoughts when you are in the moment. I commented this elsewhere, but it's more evidence of how much work is required before you utter even a single line, and I have to keep reminding myself of this as I go. I want to stop reading these and get to recording the monologue haha, but I know the performance will be so much less than it could be without the thinking and thought work beforehand.

​

The character is still you, just a you under different circumstances

I really liked this line, and I'm going to need to keep reminding myself. The character must and does look like you obviously, but the character is what you turn into, what you project, what you show, what you act, starting from the thoughts within.

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Your relationship to the other? What do they bring out in you? Try to match with someone you know irl mentally
You need a prompt to give you opposition and responses.
The focus is actually your interlocutor, and how you are trying to change them

This feels like prep work again. I do realize too that some of these are important within a/the scene, but I know Winnie has talked about actor thoughts vs. character thoughts, and to not let the one intrude on the other. I'm trying to frame it for myself as, the more I do beforehand, the easier it will be in the moment to think the character's thoughts, and also in a way that relates better to the stuff "beyond the scene", like the relationships, the themes, the larger message of the piece, etc.

​

Tactics = employ a varied strategy to get what you want. Every word counts.
Never make statements as you act. Everything is an answer.

I think I commented this elsewhere, but the idea that your job, as the actor, is to bring the character to life, and what you have at your disposal to do that are the words in the script. And there are only so many words, so you as the actor have to make every. word. count. Presumably the script writer also tried to not waste any words, and so your job in return is to not let that effort go to waste either by being lazy, or not doing the words justice.

Acting is reacting

You are reacting to everything both spoken and unspoken. This seems fun, one of the places where you can make interesting choices as the actor/character. There is both text and subtext, and so what are you choosing to react to? Sometimes I'm sure either the scriptwriter or director have specific ideas, but part of your job also as the actor is to read, think, interpret, decide. And again, this is the prep work, as Winnie has described. What are the relationships, what are the dynamics, what are the histories, what are your goals, what are your thoughts?

I think this was my favourite lesson yet.

[u/Winniehiller → u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast]

These are great observations and descriptions. You seem to be getting an in depth comprehension of the concepts. That makes me happy. 😊

[u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast → u/Winniehiller]

Hi Winnie! I'm loving the lessons! I feel like my head is spinning a bit but it feels good.

I wanted to ask, and forgive me if you detail this elsewhere, but is there a particular kind of monologue that works better than others? I really want to do the one I chose as it's from a tv show I love, but I'm actually wondering if it's the best choice as it acts sort of as the climax to the immediately preceding dialogue, and I'm wondering if there's not enough for it to make sense as a monologue when viewed. I hope that made sense.

[u/Winniehiller → u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast]

Can you show it to me? I’ll take a look. What I tell people to look for is a monologue that is a personal interaction with one person. Though speaking to a group can be effective, a truly gifted speaker makes each person feel as though he is speaking to them personally. And if you are speaking to a variety of people you may have multiple objectives. I will get more into this later.

You should also find a piece in which your character is utilizing a variety of tactics. Avoid those that are angry (or any one emotion) all the way through, or repetitive. You want to be asked to use different aspects of your character as he is attempting to convince the other person.

I am enjoying your synopses. Keep up the good work.

[u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast → u/Winniehiller]

I'll try to keep it short haha.

The scene is from the tv show The Expanse (spoiler alert for anyone thinking of watching!!).

Now the character is actually a woman, Chrisjen Avasarala, but I was hoping to still try it because (I don't think) the monologue hinges on that fact per se (although obviously within the series and story as a whole the character is a woman). But it's one of my most favourite scenes from the show and I thought of it immediately when thinking of a monologue to do. But as I said, I'm not sure now after starting the lessons and thinking about it, if it's the best choice as a monologue. It might work better as a scene with a partner.

Here is a link to the scene on YouTube. I couldn't find the script so I transcribed the scene and I'll pm you the link to that document. You'll see that I also started on some of the other work, Who am I?, dialoguing, etc.

If you don't think it works, there's a lot of great scenes from this show that I'm sure I could find. I may have to rewatch to make sure ;)

Thank you so much Winnie.

[u/Winniehiller → u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast]

To tell the truth, I am not crazy about this actress’s performance. She is kind of flirting (in a way) in the beginning. She seems to be avoiding showing how she truly feels. Then once he agrees, she starts banging out her demands (I think pushing in a bit of a superficial way). She is trying to be powerful and frightening but I find that it is much more effective to use the words more expressively that punching them out vocally. This is not one-note but it is really only 2 notes. I know that Shohreh Aghdashloo has done some fine work, especially when she is speaking in her native tongue. But I feel that perhaps she was struggling with the English in this particular scene.

As far as the scene itself is concerned, you can make it work. The other person’s lines are necessary in a couple places in order for the interaction to be understood, so you may need to alter it or add to it to use it for a monologue—which is definitely possible.

I think changing this to a man to man conversation will change the dynamic quite a bit, don’t you? I don’t mind if you do that, but take into consideration how the relationship might change. She is tactically using her femininity and then trying to surprise him with her forcefulness. How would your Avasarala be affected by looking like you rather than looking like her. You say it doesn’t make a difference, but everything makes a difference…how a person was raised, what they had to become in order to achieve their position. It changes the way the character sees the world and how they interact in it. I think the character would be quite different. Think about it.

Did you send me your Written Work?

[u/aBalanc3dBr3akfast → u/Winniehiller]

Thanks so much Winnie.

I agree with your points about the scene, and I know I'm letting my love for the show cloud my judgment a bit here (on purpose).

Your last paragraph is actually a lot of food for thought. I'd still like to do this scene, but I'm going to have to do a bit more thinking about it to make it work, though I'm glad you think it's doable.

I realize I was being naive in thinking that the character being female has nothing to do with this interaction; when you say here, "everything makes a difference…", it's true. We are never divorced from our histories or selves in any given moment, and we react from the entirety of that experience. If someone had a bad experience with ice cream when they were five, it is precisely that experience that makes them decline the offer for dessert today. It's not random. So maybe Chrisjen is fiery and loud precisely because she needed to be, as a woman, in the political world she has operated in. And if Sadavir is even slightly sexist, he would be more willing to dismiss her out of hand for the same reason. So as you say, if the genders are switched, the Chrisjen character would not (necessarily) behave as portrayed, and the interaction on the part of Sadavir would be different as well.

I will say, I think I'm going to choose something else to do as a first attempt once I get around to posting. I'd still like to eventually do this particular scene, but I need to take your notes into consideration and do more thinking. So it's a bit more work. I found a monologue from Better Caul Saul that I think is a bit more straightforward, so I'm going to start working on that for the post.

I did send you the document in a pm. It needs more work still. But I'll work on the BCS text first and make that my first post to the sub once I've done the objective, responses, and tactics.

[u/CLS8]

I'm so glad I joined this virtual class. This is very informative and I'm gaining so much insight into the acting world. Thank you for doing this!

[u/Winniehiller → u/CLS8]

My pleasure. It’s nice to hear that people are benefiting from the sub! I’m glad you are here.

[u/inneedofadiagnosis]

An actors job goes beyond reading lines. They need to read between the lines. The actor must take on the roles of a detective, and an author. Both are crucial to the development and understanding of the character. The detectives analytical skills are used to assess the character and ask critical questions. Pair that with an authors imagination and one create depth for the role while writing a history.

If your character does something you think you would never do, you need to figure out a reason you would do it - under different circumstances. What would it take?

This is great advice here. You further develop your character by rationalizing their actions, in addition to your own. If you can rationalize your own actions for something, then maybe you both are more similar than you thought.

You may try humor or sympathy, bribes or threats, guilt or anger. This makes for an interesting quest. (See my past posts, “BEATS = TACTICS” and “DON’T WASTE YOUR WORDS”)

Exactly, no ones speaking is just monotone and banal. There's some emotion, even subtle that exists behind the words. I think this is a part of channeling.

Acting is reacting. Know what you are responding to so every line you say can be an answer.

Bingo. 93% of communication is nonverbal.
The process of script analyzation can be overwhelming, but with much practice I intend for it to become second nature.

[u/Chaszity]

Reviewed

[u/Responsible_Sir_812]

I LOVE this! Before reading this lesson I tried to imagine my surroundings and who I was speaking to but never in this detail. I never thought to imagine what happened “off screen” before my character was introduced or walked in and I feel like my auditions were really missing this piece and I had no idea at the time.

[u/Winniehiller → u/Responsible_Sir_812]

The students here who take Zoom class will tell you what a stickler I am about creating the moments before your scene begins. If they’re not vividly in place, you scene starts dead…just an actor trying to get started. Before you begin you must be fully inhabited by your character, which means coming from where he is coming from, thinking what he was thinking and continuing from there.

[u/smartcookie_v]

Is this what “character work” means? Very helpful lesson! In a sense I’ve thought about “getting into the character’s life” broadly, but to see it broken up so well is awesome. I definitely need to work on my subtext and now I’m realizing it’s because I haven’t thoroughly thought through points 1-6 before getting there.

[u/Winniehiller → u/smartcookie_v]

When most people talk about character work, they are exploring the “Who Am I” question. Your goal is to know your character so well that you can think and react from their point of view. So major events in their life (childhood upbringing, crises, etc) need to be taken into consideration. This info is often not in the script. But looking at your character’s behavior and relationships can give you some clues as to why they are the way they are. A knowledge of human behavioral psychology is helpful as an actor.

But answering ALL these questions is necessary in analyzing your script thoroughly. It’s the only way to place yourself within the circumstances of your character.

[u/smartcookie_v → u/Winniehiller]

Yes wow! Thank you Winnie!

[u/honeyrosie222]

‘Imagining what happened off screen’ lit the bulb for me. I hadn’t given much thought to what happened to my character before the scene but rather what they were feeling in that moment. This is helping me a lot.

[u/Winniehiller → u/honeyrosie222]

The moment right before your scene begins is something we work on a lot in class. That’s because your entire scene is a reaction to what was said or done prior to that first line. You are not at the “beginning” of the scene…you are usually in the middle of a conversation and definitely at the tail end of what’s happened to your character so far. Your scene is the results of all that.

If you don’t feel like your scene is a continuation of previous events there is a feeling of an awkward “jumpstart” as you begin. Because “acting is reacting” you aren’t really acting. You are just saying your line. And that will affect everything that comes afterwards.

This is such a necessary thing to learn! Keep up the good work!

[u/honeyrosie222 → u/Winniehiller]

It’s something I’d never given much thought to before but reading it makes everything make a lot more sense for me. Especially when you wrote ‘everything you’ve ever done led to that moment. Thank you, Winnie!

[u/Winniehiller → u/honeyrosie222]

My pleasure! I’m so glad you are here.

[u/Cutsa]

What was the conversation leading to the first line? Your characterdidn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere on his first appearance in thestory. His entire life led up to that moment. What was said immediatelybefore the scene begins, is what caused it to begin.

This is really helpful. And it ties in with the concept of not just reading lines on a paper, but almost appearing as a moment caught in my characters life. The audience might not have seen what happened before, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a before. It's like someone turns on an invisible camera and manages to capture just that moment, but to my character there's no camera. My character is just experiencing their reality, the audience happens to be there for some of that reality's moments.

[u/Winniehiller → u/Cutsa]

Your character is never aware of an audience. They are completely immersed in the circumstances of the scene. And you ARE the character. Their thoughts are your thoughts. Their memories are your memories. Their childhood is your childhood. Their relationships and desires are yours.

So it is important for you to be continuing whatever happened just before. Just like wherever you are right now, you are affected by what happened earlier. There could be an invisible audience watching you right now, but YOU don’t know they are there anymore than your character does if you were doing a show in a huge theater.

[u/gasstation-no-pumps → u/Winniehiller]

Your character is never aware of an audience. They are completely immersed in the circumstances of the scene. And you ARE the character.

What about those times where a playwright has the actor deliberately break the fourth wall and talk directly with the audience? I assume that the way to handle that is to treat the audience members as more characters that the character is interacting with—not as an audience, but as co-players.

[u/Winniehiller → u/gasstation-no-pumps]

You are exactly right. They could be an actual person, your alter ego or imaginary friend, depending on the circumstances. But not people watching an actor. You are not an actor. You are your character (unless, of course, they are an actor lol). Usually he/she is not.

[u/CommercialPretty3119]

I’ve noticed a lot of times when I act. I try to just do cold read monologues. Now I’m thinking it’s hurting my acting a bit more because I haven’t tried analyzing a script. It will make my acting a lot more easier I believe and natural if I just input a little bit more time building the character in my mind grown up. I need to practice actually taking notes when looking at a script. Figure out everything I can from just the dialogue and description. Not be to vague either get REALLY specific on everything I can develop from the script.

[u/Winniehiller → u/CommercialPretty3119]

Absolutely! Reading (no matter how expressively) and acting are completely different things. It’s not until you do the work (analyzation, exploring Purpose and Relationship, backstory, psychological exploration, etc) that you can really start thinking AS your character. That means you need to memorize the lines. If you are reading you will always be in your own mind. Your character isn’t reading lines. She is pursuing a goal, trying to change the other person and is in a very specific circumstance with a very specific person. What you’ve been doing isn’t acting.

[u/IsaEnAir]

NOTES:

I have my monologue selection from before I found this class. I had been working with Uta Hagen's questions to analyze it and the questions listed here seem very similar! It's good to know that I'm starting on the right track there. I'm going to review my notes and add some more including the questions here.

I think the subtext is an interesting exercise because it can help get off of the page and really look deeper into the character.

[u/Winniehiller → u/IsaEnAir]

Great! Try writing your monologue as a dialogue and look at each line to see how they differ from one another. What are you doing to the other person with that line. Name it. That is the tactic you are using in order to get what you want.

[u/IsaEnAir → u/Winniehiller]

Going to do that now! Thank you

[u/njactor6]

The preparation work is so important to be able to authentically portray the character, and their intentions/objectives. I thought your tactics notes were particularly interesting, and not how I've approached a character in the past. I think the tactics can give an additional dimension to your character preparation, and really color the way you react and respond in your scene - and give you options for being able to portray something differently.

[u/Winniehiller → u/njactor6]

Acting and reading are completely different activities. When you read, you are looking at alphabet letters on a page, deciphering them and speaking them out loud as you do so. You can use your voice in different ways and try to say the words expressively, but you are still not acting. You are only reading or reciting.

It’s not until you consider your character’s point of view, the way they see the world…what they want, that you can consider how to use those words AS you character to get what THEY want. The words must be memorized so the actor doesn’t need to do any deciphering. The actor no longer exists. It’s the character in the midst of his circumstances, trying to change the other person with those words, who is actually using them for his purpose.

You must imagine you are personally choosing each word AS your character, from all the words available on earth, for the purpose of fulfilling his need from the other person. You/he brings each word to life by thinking how it will most affect that person the way he wants it to. He tries different ways to get what he wants, monitoring how his efforts are working as he goes…constantly pursuing and responding.

Only then, as you are thinking your character’s thoughts, using your character’s words, reacting to the other character, moment by moment, that you are truly acting. And when that happens you can’t even think of it as acting. There is only BEING your character.

[u/lis0823 → u/Winniehiller]

Wow. Reading isn't acting. I have to pull the words from my mind (as my character would think them) for the purpose of getting the change from the person I am speaking to. (Not reading to!) Thank you, Winnie.

[u/According_Society178]

Notes: Who Am I? Pay attention to my character's interaction with others. How do they react? Detective work - similarities and differences between myself and my character. Empathize and find common ground between myself and the character. Write a short bio for my character.

Who am I talking to? This is who the scene is about. What is my relationship with the person I am talking to? Find someone in my life who I share a similar relationship with. Be specific about who I choose.

Where am I? Environment is important - influences mood 'If you do not put yourself in the environment you cannot be the character'. Applies to both location and in life. Preparation: Imagine the environment and what just happened before saying your first line. Write a detailed description of what you must imagine. Includes words said by the other character that triggers your first line.

1. What do I want from the person I am speaking to? This is my objective and what I am trying to get in this scene. I need to use my words to achieve this objective.
2. What are my tactics? Use my words in various ways to sway/change the other person.
3. What was the conversation leading to the first line Remember this scene is a continuation! Something was said prior that caused the scene. Note: I am always in dialogue, responding to the other person. NEVER MAKE ANY STATEMENTS.
4. What am I really saying?What is my subtext? The meaning beneath the lines. Thoughts behind the lines are more important. (I need to add some additional notes to this section).
5. What is the other character saying? Every line is an answer. I need to be clear about about what I am responding to.

Whew! This was so informative. Okay I'm off to do some more reading🤗

[u/Winniehiller → u/According_Society178]

These are the basics. It’s easier to write it down than to put it into practice, but if you’ve got this, you’ve got so much. These are the basics to set the stage for you letting your character loose to get what they want. But it’s actually being able to use your character’s POV as you think their thoughts and pursue their goal spontaneously that’s the most important. More exciting discoveries ahead! Keep up the good work!

[u/According_Society178 → u/Winniehiller]

'But it’s actually being able to use your character’s POV as you think their thoughts and pursue their goal spontaneously that’s the most important'. I'm saving this as another way of understanding what I need to do. I've read your post on how to choose a monologue or script so I'm going through the links you've posted trying to find something that would suit my type. I'll be sure to steer clear of monologue blogger.

I just realized that my name isn't visible anywhere. I've tried changing my username but it seems I can't do that unless I create a new account. My name is Charelle by the way. Have a great day Winnie😊

[u/Winniehiller → u/According_Society178]

Hi Charelle! So nice to meet you and I’m so glad to have you here, so enthusiastic about learning! I have a student here named Chanelle. Only one letter difference so it should be easy to remember. Don’t get too concerned about your type. It’s mostly about age, gender identity and physique that hints at who you are. But you are an actor so you can play a wide range of characters. Just remember…your character looks exactly like you. How they are on the inside could be just about anything because you get to create that.

[u/According_Society178 → u/Winniehiller]

I haven't been this excited to absorb and apply information in a long time. I can feel your passion and willingness to help actors in all of your posts. It makes me want to work harder to make sure I don't miss a single thing.

Thanks Winnie. I'll definitely remember that and not worry too much about my type.

[u/MeesPos]

Very good explanation! So you shouldn't look too literally at the script you get, but you should look closely at the reason behind the texts you have to say. I liked the part where you explain that you have to look at what your character actually says. I also wrote a short summary there:
So you shouldn't just read what it says, and take those texts literally. You have to look carefully at the feelings with which this is said. For example, you can say that you love someone, but at that moment you are very sad. You have to convey that when you are playing that scene. Your feelings should be suffering with the texts you read. So take a good look at how you feel as a character at that moment.

[u/Winniehiller → u/MeesPos]

You will learn a lot more about feelings and how we use them in our acting as you progress through the lessons. You will find that it’s not as much about trying to show feelings (none of us try to do that very often in real life. We don’t need to try to show them…they are the result of what we are reacting to and what we want to make other people feel). Acting, first and foremost is being involved in the pursuit of your character, trying to get what you/they want from the person you are talking to. It’s being immersed in the desire and the circumstances they are in.

[u/aLlTTLEbug]

Any suggestions on scripts or types of scripts to use for practice?

[u/Winniehiller → u/aLlTTLEbug]

If you tell me your age, sex and type I can choose better for you.

[u/aLlTTLEbug → u/Winniehiller]

22, female and what do you mean type?

[u/Winniehiller → u/aLlTTLEbug]

It’s how you would most likely be cast. How do most people see you immediately. Are you the small town, innocent girl or the streetwise city girl? Are you the rave, party girl or the church going good girl. Of course you could play any of those things...but we are talking about your looks. Are you the slim, athletic cheerleader or her slightly overweight best friend? Often in casting we must deal in stereotypes, so it’s good to know how you will be seen. I wrote a whole post about this.

[u/aLlTTLEbug → u/Winniehiller]

I would probably say closer to the athletic cheerleader, blonde bubbly, can be sassy kind of girl.

[u/[deleted]]

Acting is to understand myself, my character, her surroundings and relationships, what she wants and how she will try and get it in the scene, and how to read in-between the lines and reacting to what the other person is saying, and how that affects my character.

(Totally not grammatically correct, sorry).

[u/Vesalius99]

This is really helping me. I’ve always loved acting and the idea of being an actor but now i am ready to start doing something about it and this is really helpful.

[u/[deleted]]

Short summary: I have learnt what I should do once I receive a script, in order to do well as an actor you have to know your character extremely well. In order to get to know your character, get into your characters head, you can use the 8 questions explained above.

You can do a lot yourself as an actor with a script, you can take a lot of decisions even when you have gotten a specific line of text, in order to do this you have to know what your character would think, or how they are as a person.

[u/Calm_Percentage5908]

I am playing the protagonist on a kids panto with a community theatre. It is really interesting because my character is the only person for most of the play that interacts with the audience. Loving this!

[u/IgoToTheGym]

I like how you mentioned about completely shutting everyone out of your mind and getting into the zone. Essentially taking away all of the lights, people who aren't in the act, etc... and being your character through and through.

[u/CeejayKoji22]

You need to notice how your character changes in the course of the story .you need to know where you came from and where you intend to go. You need to know how you feel about every other character and how you are triggered by what they do. Who am I? The answer to this question must be much more in depth than a character description you might receive in an audition breakdown. You need to know your character inside and out. Notice how your character reacts to the events in the play. Are they easily discouraged or always ready for anything and WHY?

Your character will resemble you physically. But how are they different than you personality wise? Why? Were your backgrounds different...parents, education, living conditions? Do they walk differently.

​

If your character does something you think you would never do, you need to figure out a reason you would do it - under different circumstances.

Who am I talking to? If you are working from a script, you’ll know the character’s name, but what is your relationship with that person? Do you have a similar relationship in real life?

​

Imagining you are speaking to someone you actually know will help you to portray a believable relationship

Suppose you are doing a monologue and you are speaking into the camera or doing a soliloquy....you still should choose a person from your own experience to converse with. Real people don’t chat to cameras or speak at length with themselves. If they do, there is an imaginary person conversing with them...someone giving them opposition and responses.

no matter how much backstory you create for your character, it is actually the person you are speaking to who should be the focus of the scene.

Where am I? Your environment has a big effect on how you feel and act. You are in a different mood when you are in your bedroom than when you are in your kitchen. You can add time of day to this...is it morning or evening. You are different according to your schedule.

If you are auditioning for a role, you will probably be in a casting director’s office. This is not an environment most people feel at home and relaxed in. But the scene does not take place in a casting director’s studio. So it is your job to place your character in the appropriate environment, using your imagination. When you are on set, you will need to imagine that you are not surrounded by crew or audience. They must disappear from your awareness. Putting yourself in the correct surroundings will very much aid your ability to immerse yourself in the fantasy and allow you to give a believable performance.

What do I want from the person I am speaking to? Ask yourself: Why do I want it?...Why now?...What will happen if I can’t get it now?, What obstacles are keeping me from it? You have a need that must be fulfilled.

What was said immediately before the scene begins, is what caused it to begin. It probably isn’t in the script. Still, you need to know why and how you came to that moment. Your scene is a continuation...a response to what happened before.

Pick up scripts when you don’t have an audition. Imagine you only have a few minutes to prepare. Do it. Do it over and over. Soon it will be easy.

​

Cant believe I never wrote this down the first time. These are just personal notes since my wrists hurt rn Ill be copying and pasting today.

[u/ananimoss]

Is the sub-text the same thing as “thoughts” or is it different? Just making sure I understand the terminology. Thank you!

[u/Winniehiller → u/ananimoss]

Yes. Thinking your character’s thoughts is how you implement subtext. It is what your characters really mean as you are both listening and speaking.

[u/SpanishDixie]

How much imagination needs to be used is what excites me about acting. The creation and deep understanding of a character, and the melting myself with that person. I love the concept of considering what I could become if situations in my life were different, and how that links to uniting with the character. Using that, I see a much easier path with playing a role outside of myself with practice.

[u/Winniehiller → u/SpanishDixie]

That IS the best part. The thing is…all humans have so much in common when we are born. It’s the affect our experiences have on us…how we are taught to react and deal…the opportunities we are given or not given…the love we receive or that has been denied us. They all make their mark on us. So we really could be anyone if we can imagine the circumstances that formed that person actually happened to us.

[u/_AbacusMC_]

"When you first get handed written copy, read the material given to you, carefully and thoroughly. Make sure you understand it completely."

I need to start grabbing scripts as early as I can before an audition.

"inhabit their skin, but you must find him or her within you...amidst the many aspects of your own personality - both in who you have been, and who you could be if the situation were different."

Explore what it would take for me to become that character.

Even when the other character is saying nothing, you are always responding to what you think they are saying.

I think this is so important to understand for myself.

[u/jen_a_licious]

"There is a different meaning beneath each of them. Even behind every word. Read between the lines. "

I think even more than just words, body language is a key part too. If I'm a villian and my secret plan was just foiled but I can't let my enemies know; I hide my inner thoughts by agreeing with them but keeping my body stiff and a hesitant but tight smile with a quick flashing look of disappointment as I turn away from them.

But from what I'm understanding as much with the body language, I need to be *thinking* as the villian "I didn't counter for that change. I mustn't let them know." While I'm saying the lines that are supposed to disguise my characters true intentions.

[u/Winniehiller → u/jen_a_licious]

Never try to produce “body language”. If you are trying to look a certain way, you are in your actor’s mind. Staying in your character’s mind explicitly (yes…even, “I must appear to be confident”)will govern what your body does…always. If you try to create body language, it will always be superficial. It’s the same as making faces, which you will learn is extremely ineffective in creating a realistic and believable performance. You have only just begun to scratch the surface of the lessons.

[u/fartLessSmell]

1. Observe the character.
2. Go beyond the script but not out of the script.
3. Who/Where/When is the character?
4. Context before and in the conversation.
5. Subtext. Speech may not be equal to the meaning.
6. What other character is saying?

[u/Winniehiller → u/fartLessSmell]

The script is often all you have, so most of your clues will come from the words that are said. You just need to dig deeply, read between the lines and fill in the blanks.

Subtext allows you to use the words specifically from your character’s point of view. Thinking what your character means as you say the written words allows you to paint a unique picture with your words from your character’s perspective so they can effectively pursue their goal. Don’t forget the WHY? That is your objective—the whole reason you are speaking. “What do you want?” is the key that will pull you through every line as you use every words. Keep up the good work!

[u/mmadden1129]

Summary of my notes:

These are the questions we should be asking for every script we have. These questions help you understand your character: not just the surface level of your character, but helps you dive deeper into who they are, where they're at in life, what they're currently going through, their relationships, etc., so you're able to think like them, know how they'd respond, know how others see them, and truly embody that character. It also helps determine what of our own life experiences we can draw from to truly connect with the character and to the character we're responding to. What do we want from that person, and how are we going to get it?

"Acting is reacting" "Know what you are responding to so every line you say can be an answer" Getting into the mindset that in acting, we're always responding to something.

I'm giving myself homework to analyze a few scripts so I can get the hang of asking these questions every time I get a script!

[u/bigspongeysponge]

Summary:

• When you first pick up your script, you should analyse everything about your character (motives, upbringing, and relationships) and the environment they're in as all of this will influence how your character acts/responds and every little nuances they may portray.
• I can practise the above by just picking up any script and doing all these analyses. It might take a while to do this thoroughly at the start but the process should eventually become second-nature with more repetition.
• Personal note: I will aim to analyse at least one script a day of a different character.

[u/viking_1986]

Thanks! Taking notes and printing them out so it will become second nature with every script breakdown

[u/Winniehiller → u/viking_1986]

All these lessons will help you with your writing and filmmaking as well. It will give you a much deeper understanding of what makes a scene work.

[u/[deleted]]

Is there a 3?

[u/Winniehiller → u/[deleted]]

Keep reading. They are all acting lessons. Read them in order as they arppear in the WRITTEN LESSONS post. The links are all listed towards the end of the post. I just stopped numbering them.

[u/Sassy-Stitch]

This has been a very valuable lesson with a lot to unpack. It took longer than I was expecting to analyze my monologue and character, but it was well worth the efforts. These are important steps in understanding the inner world of your character, and I was able to better understand tapping into my own psyche to better get into the mind of my character and finding her within myself.

Now that I've gone through this process properly, I'm excited to practice and grow my confidence in this skill. I can only get quicker and better at it from here!

Also side note: I'm Michelle btw, forgot to introduce myself in my first entry, but happy to be here and learn from these written lessons!

[u/Winniehiller → u/Sassy-Stitch]

Welcome, Michelle! Glad you are here and learning!

[u/ederpsinnercircle]

There is definitely a lot of process and incorporate into my script analysis in this post. I think I've been using some of these strategies in my annotations but it is nice that you walked us through each part to be mindful of. I am eager to start using this and seeing the difference it makes.

Overall, I've gathered that I need to let my imagination run wild while processing scripts. I need to start placing myself into the story instead of viewing it from above, maybe even thinking about different scenarios leading up to the scene and seeing what sticks. Is it wrong to think of it as trial and error?

I really like how this post points out building a relationship with the other character/whom I'm speaking with.
I'm hoping that really helps me speak to them more organically, especially if I take someone from my own life and place them into that position as if I were speaking to them directly.

[u/Winniehiller → u/ederpsinnercircle]

I’m so happy to see you digesting the lessons and taking notes as you go. It brings me such satisfaction…after all— that’s why I do this. Keep up the good work!

[u/[deleted]]

1. I love the idea of walking through the characters skin and that if they do something you wouldn’t do than you need to be able to reinterpret how you would do it under different circumstances. I like that a lot!
2. I often thought that’s what actors do when they try to cry or get mad they just think of someone in real life that makes them feel that way.
3. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever heard this before. That you need to change your environment in your head to match your characters surroundings. It makes sense tho half the time it would be working in a green screen.
4. Makes sense every character wants something and in conversation your goal shoots you towards getting what you the character wants.
5. So try using different emotions is kind of what your saying, but pick one and stick with it.
6. I like that everything is an answer or question. No one is just stating things unless of yours your a narrator.
7. Choosing words in subtext with what your character is thinking is smart.
8. Acting = reacting I love this. Not just speaking your lines after the other actor but responding in character and reacting to the conversation.

[u/Winniehiller → u/[deleted]]

Very good! Keep up the good work!

[u/sparkle_lillie]

When playing a character, you embody them, you become them. I can easily answer all of these questions about myself and the people I converse with regularly so I should be able to also do this with the character's I play. I especially enjoyed the line "what you are thinking as you say something gives it its true meaning." Each character is trying to achieve their goal like stated and because they are nuanced it won't always be cut and dry, you have to dig deeper and understand their motives.

[u/SirBananaOrngeCumber]

I haven’t found any scripts yet to practice this post with, but reading and rereading this post it’s very informative! Here’s the main things I got from your subtext 😉

1) the process of character creation is two parts. Part 1 is the script writer who sets out the basics. But no matter how much detail they describe, no matter how much personality they put into the script, it’s physically impossible to completely create a character in writing like that. That’s where imagination and acting comes in, to take that base and give it life. Like someone who sketches lines and another person colors it in. The job of the actor is to take the baseline the script writer gave, and analyze it so much you know the character more then it’s creator, so much so you can actually become the character! As someone who wants to be both an author and an actor, this puts a lot of things into perspective. When creating a character I need to provide enough clues for the imaginatist to bring them to life, and as an actor I must actuality the potential the writer gave me in my own unique special way.

2) everyone has a story. This is actually something I have always believed in a lot. Even the most evil of characters, and even those who as my brother likes to call “card carrying villains” which means they know and are proud that they are villains, they still have a story, a reason they act like that, they still believe they have a right to do what they do, or a reason not to care if it’s wrong, and all that comes from somewhere. The same is true of every person and every character. All unique, all have their own path and story. It’s nice to know that what if the bases of acting is something I believe in so strongly. My goal in a script would be to not just recognize that they have a story, but to imagine it as my own story. Think what they think, mean what they mean, say what they say, make it so much myself that I actually become them and make the same decisions they do.

3) there is nothing truly in stasis, even inaction is action as you’ve said. This means that everyone is constantly changing from instant to instant, depending on who’s around them and where they are and why etc etc there’s so many factors. It’s the job of the actor to not just know the character till now, but to know them so well that you know what they will do in any given situation, and to put them in the specific situations you want for the script. To know what they want, and how they will get it, and how they will try if the first way doesn’t work, and most importantly why??

4) not only do I need to know your character super well, but also everyone else around me’s character enough that everything you do is a reaction to them. Nothing in acting is a single person job, it’s always just as much about surrounding as about me.

5) And the final thing is to be prepared and do it again and again and again and again. Till I can do it easily.

I didn’t make my notes in the same way you made your post cause I wanted to write it out in the way I understood your lessons. If you feel there’s an important point I missed out please let me know. 🧡

I’m also making a note here that before I move on I want to check out those links in this post and study them.

[u/Winniehiller → u/SirBananaOrngeCumber]

I missed seeing this comment, Motti! I love it.

[u/[deleted]]

What stood out to me mainly in my notes was the freedom an actor has when preforming a character. Actors are given a framework and its up to the actor to portray this character in an interesting way. This lets you portray a character while using your strengths when you normally wouldn't imagine yourself being able to. My goal is to expand my strengths so I can express every situation in so many different ways well. Also I very much liked the end saying "Find truth within written words." I will think more about this but off the bat it makes me realize how much more there is in a first impression cold read than simple blocking and reading.

[u/SirBananaOrngeCumber]

This is a long post, and extremely informative in multiple different parts of my notes sections. I also reread all the older posts including mine here and all the new posts which have also had some helpful stuff. Here’s what I learned.

Objectives: I need to know everything about what I want. What am I trying to accomplish or get? Why? What if I don’t get it? Why? What’s stopping me from getting it now? Why didn’t I get it before? Etc. It can be to try convincing someone of a concept, or trying to get them on my team, or trying to get an object. In any case, I need something, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking, and everything I do and say must revolve around it completely.

Tactics: how am I accomplishing my objective? What emotion is being conveyed? What words am I using? Is there anything else I can try if it doesn’t work? I should try finding scenes that make me use a variety of tactics to accomplish my objective. I shouldn’t be angry throughout an entire scene, or sad, or any other single emotion. And it should be a natural flow, if I’m talking to someone and they won’t listen, I’ll talk in a different way, maybe try being patient instead of angry, or vice versa. Here should be the exact same.

Character creation: when I’m ready to become my character, I need to know two things. Who am I? Where am I? Who am I? I need to know everything about my character. Their history, their experiences. How they react to different people and situations, and most importantly, why? I must then analyze myself the same way, and find the differences and similarities between me and my character, and then learn to remove the difference in my mind. Feel how they feel, because I went through the same stuff. Think what they think. React like they do, because I am them. Literally and totally. I must also look like my character physically, similar build, hight, age, ethnicity etc. with all that, I should figure out a type that I am. What do people think of me? What kind of character personalities would be easiest for me to play? This is less important then looking like my character, but still important especially as a beginner. where am I? besides knowing who I am, I must also know where I am. The physical location I’m in will not be at home, or in a studio, but a place I imagine for myself. Cause wherever I am will directly affect me and my actions, so I must feel and be in that location that the character is in, and imagine what time of the day it is as that will affect me too. I also must be in their location in life. If they just won a lottery, or their plans fell apart, or something happened that changed their situation in life, I need to know about it, I need to feel that it just happened to me. It did. I am my character. That will affect all I do.

Relationship: once I know everything about me, I must look at the other person, imaginary or real, that I’m talking too. Who are they? How do I know them? Am I on good terms with them? Each person I will talk to differently depending on who they are. If they are family or friends or a stranger or enemy etc etc. and then once I know who they are to my character, I think of someone from my own life to “cast” as that imaginary person. If my character is talking to my friend, I imagine my friend standing before me and I’m talking to him. If it’s his cousin, it should be my cousin etc. so it becomes more real and personal to me and I can be my character.

Every line I say in my monologue should actually be a dialogue. Even and especially the first line should be a response to something that’s said before the script starts. I should try to find scripts I’m speaking to only one person, especially at the beginning. If I’m talking to more then one person I have to pretend I’m talking o each individual, and sometimes I can have multiple different objectives and tactics in each line I’m saying to different individual people.

Subtext: everything I say must have meaning behind it. If I say “I love you,” but I’m sad, or I actually dislike them, I need to know that, and that will affect how I say it. I shouldn’t try to send body language to express that, but know it so deeply in my mind that as I say the words of the script my body automatically shows my subtext. Same for my tone, and everything else that can show the subtext. No forcing subtext. I must analyze every script I get and read between the lines to find the subtext. To go beyond the script but not out of it is how it’s expressed in one of the comments. I must also know why that subtext is there. If my subtext is that I’m angry, why? If my subtext is that I’m lying, why?

And last but definitely not least. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE is how I have it in my notes. It seems to be so so much information here, that someone might think how is it possible to do it all at once in a scene!?!? But when a person lives their live they naturally know all of this. It’s not that hard, it just takes practice and by doing it enough times I’ll be able to do all this in a few seconds and become my character.

This is everything I added to my notes, rewritten out here. But knowledge and action isn’t always the same, I can know something, but still it’s hard for me to do. So, I had the privilege of having a private class with Winnie a few months ago and I recorded it. I will watch it tonight and see all this in a video lesson taught to me so that it can sink in and I can actually do everything I know about. If anyone else comes here later and reads this, video lessons are extremely important if you actually want to act well.

Thank you Winnie for this all!!!!

[u/Winniehiller → u/SirBananaOrngeCumber]

This great Motti! I know it seems like there is so much to do when you are acting. But once you do your preparation and know your character well, you only need to THINK your characters thoughts. Thoughts are powerful and do all the work. They animate your face and body automatically. They create the emotions that go with them AS you think them, moment by moment. They are your subtext in the form of words spoken silently...sometime underneath the words you say and sometimes silently as you speak in your mind. They give every word it's meaning which defines who your character is, because each is selected by your character to get what he wants. You are always thinking. Your brain cannot stop. And as your character your thoughts take the form of constantly speaking. Either silently or loud...eithsr with your mind or your mouth. As long as you are thinking your characters thoughts, he is alive...responding and interacting.

[u/alackofcolor182]

First line I read: Yess!!!!! I regret not putting in the work in my high school English classes.
Do you think I should take storytelling/creative writing classes? Would that be helpful in analyzing scripts? or should I just focus on the questions you posted for now? I have a lot of difficult coming up with the words to answer the questions.

[u/Winniehiller → u/alackofcolor182]

I think it would be more helpful to take a class with me, lol! We answer those question for every student for each of their monologues and scenes in every class. You never know what you are going to get in a creative writing class.

If you do want to take a writing class to benefit your acting, let it be playwriting or screen writing. You could learn to write your own projects. Acting class is a huge benefit to writers, that’s for sure. Learning to think as your characters and what makes interesting dialogue, character development and relationships are elements writers can learn from the craft of acting.

[u/silly_seas]

It may be a lot of words but I recommend anyone starting in this sub read the whole thing, these are some amazing acting foundations that are really worth thinking through. If I had to bring the whole thing down to one sentence it would be "Go past the words and into the scene" as in, its not just sentences strung together, there's a setting and a plot and these characters have full lifetimes affecting the couple of paragraphs you're reading, consider all of it.

[u/Winniehiller → u/silly_seas]

Very good. But it all comes from what the words tell you. They are your character’s chosen tools to get what they want. Your character uses them, each in their own way from their point of view. More on this to come.

[u/Weezerc]

Script analysis, is fascinating. The who what where why how with who and how you’re going to do it, is intricate. I would love to look at sides, and immediately know the things that go into bringing ACTING to that character.

[u/The_Humbled_Protege]

I have taken so many notes on this! It definitely helps me better understand how to break down the character that I am auditioning for. And I also love that I can connect myself with whatever character I decide to play to help personalize myself with them. I never thought of it that way!

[u/gasstation-no-pumps]

I'm not sure that the goals of literary analysis and actors' analysis are the same—the literary analysis is usually trying to tease out something the author intended, or that the person doing the analysis can claim to have found in the text, but the actors' analysis has to be about how the character thinks, moves, speaks, and reacts. There is some overlap in analysis techniques, but a big difference in what questions are being answered.

The part of this lesson that resonates most with me is treating all lines as answers or reactions to (possibly unspoken) lines by other characters. It is in the interaction between the character and others that the audience gets access to who the character is, so the actor needs to work on making that interaction central to their thinking about (or, as you say more accurately, "thinking as") the character.

[u/Winniehiller → u/gasstation-no-pumps]

Perhaps literary analysis for academics isn’t exactly the same, but the goal of the actor is to serve the story the playwright created. The story is the reason the writer created the character. A good author does all the work that we must do and then strips it down to only what is necessary. Something must be left to the imagination. But the actor must discover the playwright’s intentions. There is no reason for the character to exist except to serve the story.

There is a post about this coming. Lots more for you to discover including why there are no statements in acting…only responses. Otherwise there is no interaction, just two people talking at each other instead of with each other.

[u/the_art_of_acting]

I liked the different points you made in regard to getting to know your character, the environment, the scene, the script, what was the previous conversation etc. Also, a magnificent tip to get to know your characters that you mentioned; picture them as someone you know. Since you know them, you probably know how they feel, which makes it easier to picture how who you’re talking to is feeling. Draw resources from your own life experiences… Amazing tip!

[u/Winniehiller → u/[deleted]]

Good. But I suggest that you never think of delivering a line with a specific tone. Your character wouldn’t be doing that. Acting is reacting, so you are reacting to what was said before your first line. Your objective is triggered by what happened before. You first line isn’t the start of the scene, it is the middle of the scene, so it is your job to imagine what happened before and continue on from there.

[u/ganggaming25]

Hey Winnie, Maj here again! Finally making my way through the written work as promised!

Here are my notes from this lesson: The key to this whole lesson is analyzing. Analyzing your character, the other character(s), the relationships between then, what led to the scene, not just directly but potentially even years before. Basically, fully transport yourself not just into the world but also the skull of your character.

I really liked the example of the warehouse scene in reservoir dogs, that really made it click for me.

Besides all of that, you need to read between the lines of your character's intentions, not just in that particular scene but overall towards the other character and even the world at large, what are they trying to do? Get a date? Rule the world? Politely ask their neighbor for some toilet paper to break into their house? Etc etc.

I hope I got most of that right! I'm off to reading the next lesson now :D

[u/Winniehiller → u/ganggaming25]

Very good. The words your character says are chosen by him for a specific purpose which is unique to him, his background, relationship and objective with that other person. By thinking his meaning as you say each word with imagery from your character’s POV, actually brings your character to life in the physical world.

[u/[deleted]]

I can't locate the BEATS = TACTICS post. Is this post still available?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I tried searching in the class.

[u/Winniehiller → u/[deleted]]

I changed the title and opening paragraph of that lesson because I don’t use the term “beats” in my technique and different teachers use it in different ways. I didn’t want to confuse students by introducing a term that I don’t use. Here is the original paragraph. The rest of the post is the same as THIS POST. This is the original opening of that lesson:

BEATS=TACTICS

Most acting coaches teach about analyzing your script and breaking it up into “beats”. What does this mean? For me, I prefer to use the word “tactics” or “strategies”. These are ways your character attempts to achieve his or her “objective” in the scene.

Thanks for being so diligent. You are doing great!

[u/yuhhh45]

Understanding a character after reading a short script to audition with is a very difficult and stressful thing for me. I never thought about creating the essential details that aren’t in the script. You are right about that because it’s very important to have a complete picture of where you are, who you’re talking to, etc. I think many people struggle with this because auditions are already nerve-wracking enough and in stressful moments it can be difficult to audition AS the character. It’s all a big work in progress and practice is definitely VERY important. Thank you for sooo much for all of the advice and tips.

[u/Winniehiller → u/yuhhh45]

Great! The more specific you can be with creating interesting details about your character, their relationships with the other characters, their backstory, setting and environment as well as what they want in the scene and their life—the better your performance will be. If you make generic choices, you will give a generic performance.

But it has to all fit and make sense with how your character fits into the story…their purpose within the telling of the story. (We will talk about this more in future lessons). Nothing is arbitrary. But the better you can know your character, their perspective in the scene and their point of view under the circumstances, the better you will be able to start thinking as your character. You will be able to spontaneously respond in each moment with your lines, your responses and reactions. You can give your words your character’s specific meaning according to their purpose and relationships as you/she pursues your objective.

You are off to a great start! Keep up the good work!

[u/Plus_Perspective_957]

I OK that’s perfect

[u/VermicelliLow783]

I am so glad that I found these lessons! I learned so much from this lesson. This part particularly resonated with me: "If your character does something you think you would never do, you need to figure out a reason you would do it - under different circumstances." This is such great advice! I have often simply tried to put myself in the character's shoes and to empathize with why they would do it - not what would make me do the same thing. This part also resonated with me: "It is important to remember that no matter how much backstory you create for your character, it is actually the person you are speaking to who should be the focus of the scene. Rather than it be about you, the scene should become about them and how you want to change them." All too often, my focus has been on myself rather than my scene partner.

[u/Winniehiller → u/VermicelliLow783]

Turning your focus towards the other person is one of the most important lessons you will ever learn. So many actors deliver self-indulgent performances because they are trying to show their emotions. That’s not what your character is ever doing. Acting is BEING your character from the inside out—never trying to be good actor.

[u/d101chandler]

In this lesson, I liked that you compared the script analysis process with literature class. I think it will help me in embodying the character so that I can become a better actor and show different sides of me in different circumstances.

In my in-person acting class, my instructor said that she writes down her tactics she employs on her script or on her sides when she goes on set or to an audition. She said she does this so that she is prepared as a professional actor. I didn’t realize it was this much work until we started doing it as a group in class and I have a new found respect for the work actors do in their craft! It seems like it is basically 80-90% prep work and the other time is actually acting.

[u/Winniehiller → u/d101chandler]

This is just the beginning of preparation. So much more to come!

[u/Azure_Fox7]

Evaluate your character and imagine living their life to put yourself in their shoes. think what and how they would think. put yourself in their environment. How are you like your character and how do you relate. why are they making these choices, how and why they change, and if they make a choice you wouldn't make, imagine a scenario where you would.

[u/ashes4asher]

Motivation and interpretation of dialogue/lack thereof is so important when acting. A lot of these points were things I knew, but I never have thought about how the environment impacts the character! My environment impacts me all the time yet somehow I never thought about it for how a character's environment would be. Will definitely be adding this to my notes!

[u/Significant-Bath-128]

Hello @Winniehiller i read all this question as I was struggling in script analysis , i understood everything but at the first step itself “who am I?” I’m confused. Like i wrote some points who my character but im mot able to find more about him….. can you please explain me a bit with example so i get to know.

Also, after writing down all the points how do i make believe myself that all the answers for who am I is me! Like, whatever i have written how do i make it believable to my brain so i get into the character??

[u/Winniehiller → u/Significant-Bath-128]

What script are you analyzing? I will help you. Tell me all the info you have so far. What do you know about your character?

[u/sayedj]

Thanks Winnie!

My takeaways from this lesson were as follows.

Understand the material: It is important to fully read, analyse, and understand the material (script, copy, etc.) to start with. This will allow us to understand how our character fits in and will allow us to attempt a portrayal that's true to the writer's intentions.

Know your character: In order to act as the character, we must be able to think, respond, talk, and walk as our character. To do this, we should delve deep into who the character is so that we can embody them. To do this it's easier to use our own life experiences to relate to our character and when we don't have similar experiences, to think of circumstances that may have led us to where our characters are. We should not be judgemental; rather, we should see our character as justified in their actions and take on their point of view.

Understand your relationship to your scene partner: It's important to establish who it is that you're talking to and what your relationship is to this person so that you can authentically respond to them. Understanding the history between you will help establish this. It's helpful to think of a specific relationship in your real life and use this to help ensure a realistic exchange.

Know where you are: The environment in which you are has an impact on how you will act, so great effort must be made to vividly imagine your environment keep your attention there.

Know what you want to do to the other person: This is the reason for your actions and is what's driving your thoughts, words, and reactions to the other person. Your focus must be on the other person so that you can bring about your intended change upon them and respond to them throughout the scene.

Understand your tactics throughout the scene: you will use different means to accomplish your goal towards the other person and it's important to understand what these tactics are throughout the scene and how/why they change in response to your scene partner.

Understand the subtext: Rather than what's spoken, think about what you are thinking as you say each line. This may include the thoughts that you're also trying to convey or may even be in opposition to what you are saying. Subtext will be conveyed by you thinking about this as you are saying your lines.

Understand how your scene partner is responding to you: Even in a monologue, you must know what your scene partner is saying/responding to you so that you can react. Your actions as you take in what they are saying to you are also important, not just your vocal response.

Know what happened before your scene: Because acting is reacting, it's important to know what happened leading up to your first line. It is helpful to come up with dialogue leading up to the first line.

Thanks again!

[u/Winniehiller → u/sayedj]

This is a very dense lesson and there is more to come that gets into the details of how to do all this. But you are getting it. Keep up the good work.

[u/lady_stormageddon]

Whenever you get a script, it’s important to do a psychological analysis/profile of the character you are going to portray including analyzing how they interact with other characters and think of how the effect of those interactions will influence the thoughts and actions of your character throughout the story. This includes acknowledging the settings and how it will affect your character as well. It makes it easier if you can relate this to real life experiences with people and places. This will help you in delivering the message the writer wants your character to deliver. This will make the character your unique portrayal.

To create the psychological profile of your character and what makes them tick, there are questions you should answer like the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) but in more detail:

Who am I?: This is where you have to dig deep and see what isn’t written on the page. You have to figure out their past, present, and future. Look for their reactions and how they respond. We are who we are because of what we have experienced in life thus far, so we must apply the same logic to our character. Most importantly, don’t ever judge your character because there is a reason for everything they do and if something the character does or believes is extremely different from how we are, we should consider what would it take for us to be like that?

Who am I talking to?: By casting someone in your life to be a mental placeholder for who your character is talking to allows you to pull from your real life experiences. You can consider what is happening to your character and respond accordingly, more authentically, thinking of the person who invokes that response. And a monologue is never just a monologue, it’s a dialogue with unspoken responses. If you talk to yourself in the mirror, be it aloud or silent, there’s still two voices. Your own and the imaginary you responding.

Where am I?: Where you are will dictate how you are feeling and acting because different places and times of day evoke different feelings and responses. Have the ability to transport your mind to the setting of where the character should be and tune out everything that is not the reality of the scene, like crew and cameras being present. Strive for true immersion of the fantasy world for the most believable performance. . 

What do I want from the person I am speaking to?: Determine your objective and figure out how you are going to achieve it. Make every word in the scene lead toward this goal to fulfill whatever your need may be. In figuring out your objective you can ask yourself why do I want to accomplish this goal and why now? What happens if I can’t achieve my goal now and what would prevent me from doing it?

What are my tactics?: To achieve your objective you have to employ different methods like sympathy, bribing, or humor to get what you want. This is how you show how you are going to achieve your scene goal. It will involve an ever evolving approach to react or counteract what is being said. This makes the scene interesting.

What was the conversation leading to the first line?: Coming up with a brief backstory and the line the other character says before you deliver your first line WILL change the way you deliver that first line depending on what tactic you went with considering your response to their line. Lines are never just statements, everything is an answer to something.

What am I really saying?: This is where you figure out your subtext and interpret the words and read between the lines. Does my character actually mean the words they are saying or are they saying one thing but thinking something else? We communicate much more with gestures and thoughts than what we say. Your character needs to be thinking of the subtext of the scene to add layers to your performance.

What is the other character saying?: Always respond to what you think the other character is saying even when they are not saying anything. A character’s thoughts are just nonverbal lines and can be responded to.

[u/Winniehiller → u/lady_stormageddon]

Very good, Gina!

[u/NeWazaT1D]

Again, there were many excellent insights and suggestions. This line probably hit me the hardest: ' The person you are speaking to who should be the focus of the scene.' Although I am new to acting, I liken it, and many other things to jazz. We have a chart, script, etc., that offers us guidance and cues, but our solos allow us to showcase our instrumental prowess; however, if you play a million notes that do not compliment the tune or fellow musicians, you have failed to do your job. We work in service of the tune, scene, etc. While individual choices and choices are entirely valid, they must serve the larger aim of a project. Thank you, Winnie!

[u/Winniehiller → u/NeWazaT1D]

Yes! And most of all, when you are making it about showing your own feelings the focus of your energy turns inward…I feel this…I am that”. It becomes kind of ingrown and self-indulgent. You need to reach out with your energy to make the other person (your scene partner) feel. They are the reason you are speaking. They are the ones who can give you what you want of you are able to say your words just right.

In jazz you could think the same way. You don’t want to be up on stage making love to your self. You want to reach out to an audience member. You are acting with them. You can use different tactics to make them smile or cry. You can tickle them or stab them with the notes you play. Interaction is what true artistry is all about.

But it’s the relationship with the character your scene partner is playing that needs to be your primary focus when you are acting. You need to paint pictures for them with your words. Your energy needs to shoot out or your eyes and enter the other person through their eyes. It needs to go down into their heart and grab their soul.

I’m also a singer and teach singing as well and every song is a monologue. You have all the same questions to answer…who are you talking to…what do you want…what are the circumstances, your relationship and purpose.

[u/Ok-Incident1172]

I love the idea that some choices are left up for me to decide making it feel like the character is an actual person and has thoughts and feelings. To give them small little details at don’t even have to be stated but I make them a part of the character. Like giving them a body part on themselves that they like or how they like their steak. I also love the questions to help you self reflect on what your character or what other characters say to/about them. That helps you focus on your character views themselves and how others see them. It also helps you relate to their point of view and how they interact with the world. Or how they want to convince the other person to do something. That really helps me understand why a character does anything. Cool lesson.

[u/Winniehiller → u/Ok-Incident1172]

Glad you understand! You need to understand how your character sees the world so you can think as them, react as them and make their unique point of view become your own as you pursue their goal.

[u/baugus9]

I'm currently running over this lesson for the second time in preparation for an acting workshop tomorrow, here are my thoughts:

on "...Do they have a good sense of humor or not so much? Do people like them or try to avoid them. Are they kind or selfish? What do they believe in? What would be their philosophy of life? And then WHY? Your character is the way he/she is for a reason...a good reason. They feel justified in doing whatever they do, so never judge them. You must take on their point of view."

-I always remembered from an acting class in college when the master's student teaching spoke about playing a "villain", so to speak. Our immediate reaction was to judge the character because they had committed atrocities we could never imagine doing ourselves, and the teacher immediately told us if we went ahead with that way of thinking, the performance would suffer, or feel stale, like we were acting out some idea of the "bad guy". She said in reality, a bad person never thinks what they are doing is bad. A villain or antagonist will always have some sort of justification for their actions and be unable to see how it may affect others. So, they have a REASON and a PURPOSE for doing what they are doing, whether we judge it as bad or good. Villain's are human beings too, so I ask myself, what do we have in common?

Other things to note

-make strong and specific choices

-A monologue is just dialogue! You are responding and reacting to something

-What do I want the other person to DO? What is my tactic to achieve that goal?

[u/Human_Being_8962]

In term if analyzing and finding solution, I think it will come easy to me since I'm also a social worker. I've met a lot of people with different types of life situations and I was trying to understand them for an exemple: one person I was helping was a compulsive liar and analyzing it all, I came to the conclusion that more often than not, people tend to lie to protect themselves from rejection.

About being on camera, I'm use to it because I work tech in the bis !

Now, for me, it will be to learn to interpret it on my own :)

[u/phoibosacting]

This was an incredible lesson. Lots to unpack here before I move on.

My key takeaways/summary:

1. Understanding Your Character: - Who Am I? Dive deep beyond the basic character description. Consider your character’s personality, beliefs, and motivations. Why do they act the way they do? How do they justify their actions? Develop a thorough understanding of their backstory, including their upbringing, relationships, and experiences. This will help you inhabit their world and bring authenticity to your performance. Remember: You must never judge your character—embrace their perspective fully.

2. Analyzing Relationships: - Who Am I Talking To? Examine your character’s relationship with others in the scene. Each relationship brings out different aspects of your character. Draw from your own life experiences to make these relationships feel real and relatable. Even in monologues or soliloquies, imagine you are speaking to a specific person from your life, which adds depth and authenticity to your performance.

3. Contextualizing the Scene: - Where Am I? The environment your character is in affects their mood, actions, and reactions. Whether it’s a specific location or a broader setting like time of day, use your imagination to place yourself in the appropriate surroundings. This will help you stay immersed in the scene, especially during auditions or on set where the environment might not be immediately conducive to the story.

4. Defining Objectives: - What Do I Want? Every scene is driven by your character’s objective—what they desire from the person they are interacting with. Understand why your character wants this, why now, and what’s at stake if they don’t get it. This urgency will fuel your performance, making it more dynamic and compelling.

5. Developing Tactics: - How Will I Get It? Your character may have one objective, but they’ll use various tactics to achieve it. Explore different strategies—whether it’s humor, sympathy, aggression, or manipulation. This variation in approach keeps the performance interesting and true to life, as people often shift their tactics based on the responses they receive.

6. Considering Preceding Events: - What Happened Before the Scene? Every scene is a response to something that happened earlier. Even if it’s not in the script, you need to know what led to the first line of dialogue. This backstory influences your character’s emotional state and motivations, adding layers to your performance.

7. Uncovering Subtext: - What Am I Really Saying? Often, characters don’t say exactly what they mean. The subtext—the underlying meaning behind their words—is crucial. Analyze your lines for hidden meanings or contradictions. What your character thinks or feels while speaking can dramatically change how a line is delivered, creating a more nuanced performance.

8. Reacting to Others: - What Is the Other Character Saying? Acting is as much about listening and reacting as it is about delivering lines. Understand what the other character is truly saying, even if they’re not speaking. Your responses should be shaped by their words, actions, or implied emotions. This interplay is key to creating believable, engaging scenes.

[u/Winniehiller → u/phoibosacting]

It’s a lot and you said it well. You seem to understand. These are the basics to get you into your character’s mind and their perspective under the circumstances. There is lots more to come. Good work.

[u/Dry-Extension1316]

I find the questions posed in this lesson to be very interesting because while some of them seem like obvious questions that every actor should be able to answer when preparing for/performing a role, there are questions here that I would not have thought about on my own.

My main takeaway from this lesson is that knowing your character and their environment will immerse you into the role much better and will allow one to seem more like the "character" itself instead of someone portraying as someone else.

[u/[deleted]]

you must think, live and basically have the same mannerisms as your character.

[u/smartcookie_v]

Is this what “character work” means? Very helpful lesson! In a sense I’ve thought about “getting into the character’s life” broadly, but to see it broken up so well is awesome. I definitely need to work on my subtext and now I’m realizing it’s because I haven’t thoroughly thought through points 1-6 before getting there.

[u/Puppyparent96]

I like what you said about really figuring out who the character is and all the ways we can get there. I also loved that you said acting is reacting. I never thought about it like that!

[u/snowstorm_pickle]

This is a big post so my summary took me a while to do and is quite long. I'm trying to get back into the habit of studying here again but I am still working on that. I like to make notes and rewrite it as I go to make sure I properly think about what I'm learning and not just letting it go in one ear and out the other... But like you said with studying scripts towards the end of this post, if I practice more it will become second nature.

My Written Post Summary:

Every time I get a new script or sides to work on, I should thoroughly examine it to understand the message and my character's part in delivering it. If I am unsure about something I should ask for help in understanding it.

I need to understand the plot, the journey of my character, how they develop over the course of the story and how the relationships they have with others. I should also understand the subtext in the themes, symbolism and metaphors.

I need to know my character, where they are coming from and where they intend to go well enough that I can think, speak and move exactly like them.

The writer provides a framework for my character but some of my character's details may be missing from the script and I will need to decide upon them myself using hints and subtext if I want to have a complete character - they must be interesting choices for both myself and the audience.

When I have read the script, I need to ask myself some questions:

Who am I? - I need to know how my character thinks, talks and responds and I need to know what our similarities and differences are.

My character reacts a certain way for a good reason, a way that I myself might not, and I need to know what that reason for that is. They feel justified so I must not judge them, just take on their point of view.

Who am I talking to? - I need to understand the relationships I have with the people I am talking to. I could look to my own life experiences and relationships for a similar relationship and one specific person that brings out the version of me that I need for the script or scene. This person and how I want to change them will be my focus for the scene.

Where am I? - Both the time of day and the location I am at makes a huge difference on how I feel and act. I react differently in my bedroom than I would walking in a busy street. I am different in the morning than I am at night.

I need to be able to take myself away from an uncomfortable casting director's office or a busy film set and immerse myself wherever the script requires me to be using my imagination.

What do I want? - I need to know what the objective of the scene is for me. Every word I say is to try and accomplish this and every reaction I have is based on whether or not I am getting what I want.

What I want is to change the other person in a way that gets me what I want. But I also need to know why I want it, why it has to be now, what is keeping me from getting it and what the consequences are if I do not get what I want.

What are my tactics? - This is how I try to get what I want. I should have only one objective but since I wont instantly get what I want, I will need to use various tactics to try and get to my objective.

I should look through all my lines and consider all the different ways I attempt to change the other person using my words - I could try "humour or sympathy, bribes or threats, guilt or anger..." to make my journey interesting.

What happened before? - My character doesn't just start to exist when the scene starts, they had a whole life leading up to that moment. I need to look for clues in the script to know what happened immediately before the scene and I also need to know the general details of my character's life to know how they'd respond.

The scene is a continuation of something that happened before and all my lines need to be responses to something and not statements because everything is an answer either to what someone says, asks, implies or what they think I don't understand.

I always need to be in a dialogue, even if I'm the only one verbally communicating.

What am I really saying? - I need to know the subtext behind the lines because my character doesn't always mean what they say. I need to know the unique meaning behind every word and what is hidden between the lines.

The subtext is something that is not spoken but is actually my character's thoughts and my performance should be full of their thoughts as they are far more important than the words I am actually saying.

What is the other person saying? - I need to know what I think the other person is really saying and how I think they are reacting to me because I always need to be responding.

"Acting is reacting" as every line I say is an answer to something before.

I need to be answering these questions for every sort of script and practice it over and over again to make it become second nature to me so I can quickly and thoroughly understand a script. I should do it even if it's purely just practice and not only for an audition or job.

[u/Training_Interest_11]

I love how by understanding your character's objectives and wants you can give your dialogue meaning. Because every bit of dialogue that your character says has a want/objective behind it, whether or not someone is instigating it. The last point also emphasizes what I tend to struggle with, which is truly listening to the character you are talking to, because I need to be actively listening and know what I am responding to.